By admin 
MESA, AZ (AZFamily) — A Mesa couple is accused of abusing and murdering a 22-month-old boy after he was burned and they refused to get him medical help.
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Artnesia Aaliyah Baptist, 24, and her boyfriend, Alexsander Byrne, 21, were arrested in Phoenix Tuesday afternoon.
Warning: Details are graphic. Reader discretion is advised.
Court documents said around April 3, the boy suffered severe burns that looked like they had been caused by hot or boiling water poured over his head, affecting 40% of his body, including his shoulders, neck, chest, back and hips.
Police said Byrne discovered the burns and found “big chunks” of skin peeling off during a diaper change.
Baptist and Byrne both denied they knew how the victim got the burns but said they didn’t seek medical help because they were afraid the Department of Child Safety would take the children, police said.
Baptist and Byrne said they told Byrne’s parents the boy had a cold.
Baptist reportedly only gave the toddler burn cream, Tylenol and aloe vera. Byrne’s parents offered to take the boy to urgent care but he lied and said that it was closed and the victim was “getting better,” court documents said.
Police said the couple hid the injuries from the boy’s biological father and Byrne threatened to kill the father if he showed up.
Court documents said Byrne searched the internet for “skin condition” and saw there was sepsis and told police, “I was like, I don’t know, that could be it.”
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He also searched for first-degree burns and second-degree burns, investigators said. Baptist’s internet history showed she searched for burn cream, court documents said.
Byrne admitted to the police that the boy ran a fever, threw up and didn’t walk again after the burns, police said.
Investigators said the boy developed sepsis and suffered a slow, painful decline until he died April 12.
Investigators said the pair moved from their home in Mesa to Baptist’s brother’s home a week before the arrest.
Baptist and Byrne were booked into jail on one count of first-degree murder and one count of child abuse. Both are being held on $1 million cash-only bond.
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